Fox News Host Shepard “Shep” Smith comes out as gay in an interview with The Huffington Post.

When asked by Ryan Grim of The Huffington Post if Robert Ailes, the founder and former CEO of Fox News, had ever made homophobic remarks when he was around, Shep replied: “No, never. He treated me with respect, just respect. I wasn’t new in the business when I came here ― I’d been doing reporting for 12 years ― but I wasn’t old in it either, and he gave me every opportunity in the world and he never asked anything of me but that we get it right, try to get it right every day. It was a very warm and loving and comfortable place.”

Although Shep rarely talks about his sexuality, he’s been included on Out Magazine’s Power 50 List. According to Out “Smith’s sexual orientation and centrist ideology are some of Fox News’ worst kept secrets. Despite 2014 [Gawker] reports that his desire to come out led to his demotion, Smith continues to provide nuanced, grounded, and logical reporting as managing editor of Fox’s breaking news division, and host of Shepard Smith Reporting.”

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Shep discredited reports that Ailes had prevented him from coming out publicly several years ago. “That’s not true,” Shep said. “He was as nice as he could be to me. I loved him like a father,” he said. “I trusted him with my career and with ― I trusted him and trusts were betrayed. People outside this company can’t know [how painful that betrayal was]. This place has its enemies, but inside, it was very personal, and very scarring and horrifying.”